Beginner’s Guide to Tracking Macronutrients

One major component of weight loss is counting and tracking vital macronutrients. At Your Lean Life, we include macro calculation services in the packages for clients wanting to enhance their lifestyle and shed the weight — all they have to do is track their macros throughout the day and we’ll do the rest! For your convenience, we’ve created a beginner’s guide to tracking macronutrients:

Macro is short for macronutrient. The three macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Every food is made up of these macronutrients. Meat is mostly protein, but does include fat and carbs. Veggies are mostly carbs, but include proteins and maybe some fats. Fats come in many forms — some are straight fats (olive oil, ghee, MCT) and others are heavy in foods (nuts, avocado). Macronutrients are what composes specific foods.

The best way to lose weight and keep the weight off is by living a more balanced lifestyle. Having too much or too little of one thing can affect your ability to gain or lose weight. When we track our macros, we are taking a close look at what we are consuming and determining whether these consumption habits are in line with our goals. Looking at the numbers, we can determine what dietary changes would allow us to reach our weight loss goals.

Tracking macros is the process of logging what you eat throughout the day. This can be done the “old school” way with pen and paper, or you can simplify the process using a macro tracking smartphone application. It’s simple — just log the foods you eat, referencing nutritional labels to track carbs, fats, and protein. For food items that don’t have nutritional labels, like meat and produce, tracking apps are especially helpful in generating a macro estimate.

At Your Lean Life, we’re in this together! Our clients track their macros, and we calculate their caloric intake and ideal macro targets to guide them in meeting their dietary and weight loss goals. We empower our clients to take their lives back and regain control of their health. Interested in learning more about what our programs could do for you? Contact us today!